April 08, 2011

It's been a difficult couple of months. I feel like all I'm doing is going round in circles and I can't see where the gap in the loop is for me to escape. We've been trying to find a house for what feels like forever, and I really just want us to get our own place now, somewhere completely private, where we can put our stamp on and actually make a home ready for married life. Not too much to ask! But perhaps it is us who ask too much of the housing market...we've not got a massive budget but we're after quite a lot - 3 bedrooms, a good sized kitchen (pref kitchen diner) and lounge, reasonable sized garden, garage, parking...it's a lot to ask, especially because we're ideally looking to live in Kenilworth! I think we could easily get more than our minimum requirements in Coventry, but we don't really want to stay in Cov, it's time for a change. Seeing a couple of potentials today though, so perhaps our luck will change! I really hope they're what we're looking for, it's hard work constantly looking, I certainly am glad that we're not having to sell a house as well as look for a new one!

Just for the record, I'm not moaning about this, I realise I'm in a really fortunate position to be able to afford a house at all, but I guess none of us want to settle for simply what we can get, it's always good to try and reach for what we want, pushing ourselfs that little bit further and hopefully being happy with the choice we make.

Of course in an ideal world I'd win the lottery and be able to buy a house like this:

March 11, 2011

...how destructive nature can be. As a huge earthquake and Tsunami hit and affect a large proportion of Japan I can only watch in horror as the news reports flood in and the casualties and devastation rage across the country. Only weeks after New Zealand suffered terrible loss and damage it really seems like nature is proving to us just how devastatingly powerful she can be.

It brings all those little niggling things that you hate about your life into perspective. I feel very fortunate to be safe right now.

December 16, 2008

Internet Explorer security alert: Microsoft says all users at risk

Users of Internet Explorer, the world's most popular web browser, are at risk of having their computers hijacked because of a security flaw.

By Matthew Moore
Last Updated: 3:12PM GMT 16 Dec 2008

The flaw allows criminal gangs to take control of people's computers and steal their personal information when they visit websites that have been corrupted by malicious hackers.

It is believed that as many 10,000 sites have been compromised since last week.

Microsoft said that it had detected attacks on machines using Internet Explorer 7, the most widely-used version of the browser, but that other versions are "potentially vulnerable".

"We are actively investigating the vulnerability that these attacks attempt to exploit," the firm, which also makes the Windows operating system, said in a security statement.

"We will continue to monitor the threat environment and update this advisory if this situation changes."

By last Saturday about 0.2 per cent of Internet Explorer users had already visited one of the websites designed to exploit the flaw, according a statement on the technology giant's Malware Protection blog. The flaw was first exploited last week but there has been a sharp increase in attacks in the last few days.

Given that three-quarters of people on the web use Internet Explorer, millions of people could already have been targeted.

Microsoft has published a list of technical changes that it say should protect against the threat until it can release a software update to close the loophole, although the instructions would be incomprehensible to most casual surfers.

It has also advised users to enable their firewalls and install anti-virus and anti-spyware software, but web security experts say the best guarantee of safety is to use an alternative browser such as Firefox, Safari or Opera, which can all be downloaded for free.

The websites corrupted by the hackers are mostly Chinese, and have been programmed to steal passwords for computer games which can be sold for money on the black market.

But the Internet Explorer security flaw could also be exploited by criminals seeking to steal people's bank details, private data and identities. "That's a big fear right now," said Paul Ferguson of Trend Micro security researcher, warning of "mayhem" if fraudsters succeed.

Graham Cluley, a virus expert at internet security firm Sophos, said that the “staggering” number of people could be affected by the attacks. While many of the compromised sites are pornographic, many are legitimate, mainstream web pages.

“Problems like this are found all the time but Microsoft always has a fix. What’s new about this situation is that there is no fix.

“This is a really critical and serious problem. People should make sure their anti-virus software up to date, and remember to install Microsoft’s security patch when it is released.”

But he added that switching browsers may be an over-reaction. “It’s certainly a fix and gets around this problem, but Firefox, Google Chrome and other browsers all have their own security issues.”

For me, only slightly annoying in the sense that at work I use Web based outlook and its performance in Firefox is rubbish - the screen is completely useless. With IE it's set up brilliantly, but I've no idea how to make it look like that in Firefox! Other than that I tend to use firefox for most things, but I guess whatever you use you're probably not 100% safe. Be careful kids!!

November 09, 2008

I went to Coventry Cathedral this morning to the Remembrance day service and on the way I stopped in to the corner shop to get my poppy. I was having a quick chat to the shopkeeper and he told me that a blind poppy seller in town had his collection tin stolen. I can't believe that someone would stoop so low as to steal something like that - at the most it would have had £20? Maybe a bit more, probably not. I felt really quite sad. The service itself was nice, it adds a certain significance to the whole meaning of why we remember, when you are stood in the ruins of the cathedral bombed in the Second World War.

The nice thing about going to town on your own on a Sunday is that you then get to go guilt free shopping. Not that I really bought much, but I have lots of Christmas ideas now! I did indulge in a plate of meatballs at ikea at lunchtime though - mmm meatballs. I've no idea what they make that sauce out of (nor do I particularly want to find out) but whatever they do to it, it's very tasty!

Just got back and crashed on the sofa in front of the TV for a bit. Why is it that they've changed the mascot for Mr Muscle? Wasn't the whole point of the last guy that even weedy geeks with no muscle could clean with ease thanks to Mr Muscle power spray? Now it's this weird animated Arnold Schwarzenegger character who all the housewives are drooling over...it's just wrong. Bring back the geek, that's what I say!!

November 04, 2008

So for a few weeks I've not been able to sign on here (am guessing the whole "WGA is free, woop!" thing maybe cocked up the system a bit) and so have not been able to rant/muse/ponder the various things that happen in my little world.

The first thing I was going to write about was thiswhich I was absolutely horrified by. Although I shouldn't be surprised that humans are capable of such cruelty, this kind of barbaric quest for blood is beyond my comprehension. It just makes me sick.

Then I thought I'd better say that after 2 long years I've finally passed my LPC so now have a postgraduate diploma in legal practice (yay!) but that I've no idea what I want to do with it (oops) so I should probably get my thinking cap on with that one...

Lots has happened since I last did a proper blog catch up, I've turned 26, become an auntie, done a few concerts, cried & laughed a hell of a lot...that's just for starters! All good stuff. I'll leave it there for now, may blog properly soon (now that I've got it back!)

October 12, 2008

It's interesting what goes through your mind at 23.37 on a Sunday night, when you know you should be in bed because you have to get up early in the morning for work, but you're just not in the work frame of mind because you've had one of those rare weekends where you haven't actually HAD to be anywhere or DO anything you didn't want (n.b. you still DO go places and realised actually you HAD to clean the house, but at least nobody expected it to be done.)

Having had one such weekend, and having been in a rather strange state of mind for most of it, this is exactly the sort of time that I start getting all reflective and often rather sad. I think about what has been, what could have been and what is. Randomly looking back at some old facebook pictures I discovered someone who I used to be friends with (and just for the record it was HIM who cut the ties, I was perfectly prepared to forgive and forget his actions up until recently) who obviously left facebook (for whatever reason) is now back on there, because he's tagged in the pictures and when I click on him he comes up still with 2 mutual friends. Now I know that people "facebook purge" all the time - I've done it myself when I realise there are people you know you have added but won't really ever talk to, so it's fine that he's removed me as a friend - he did it in real life so might as well do it online! I guess it was just the finality of the thing, to know he was still on there, but that he chose not to want anything to do with me when the whole reason for him alienating himself from everyone wasn't my fault. I would rather that he'd just disappeared from facebook entirely, than know he's still on there deliberately ignoring me.

Then again, why care so much? I don't know. Probably that reflective thing again. After all, we used to be quite good friends really. And so I'm a little sad now. But that was just one thing, other things have had me in quite the odd mood over the weekend. Luckily I have nice people like Stu around who do a marvellous job of cheering me up, and distracting me from big scary things (next weeks results mainly) by taking me to see happy rescue ponies at Redwings Horse Sanctuary and writing me poems :-)

My mind is so full of all the things I have to do, where I've got to be, what I am going to be faced with each and every minute that it's no wonder I'm looking and feeling a bit shattered. I find a racing mind very counterproductive to sleep. Probably why it's now 23.52 and I'm still not on the way to bed. I should go and at least give it a try...

Will try and write something a bit less dreary next time I get around to being on here. Promise.

September 17, 2008

I'm SEEING HAMLET TONIGHT!!!!!!! Yes, that's right, the one where David Tennant is Hamlet. Could I be any more excited? Not if you told me Gordon Brown had finally decided to retire! We've had the tickets for over a year and finally the day has arrived!! I can't actually believe I'm going to be in the same room as the Tennant. He's my dream man, all geeky and cute and that HAIR - oh yeah! Plus it's an awesome play and I'm looking forward to this adaption.

September 04, 2008

Katie Price/Jordan whatever you choose to call her...you have to admit, whether you like her or not, she certainly knows how to promote herself. Her latest equestrian range is...well, pink to say the least. And as classy as it isn't, there's something fun and quite friendly about it. Pink has been increasingly creeping into the equestrian world - I have a very nice pink Tayberry cap and of course there is their welly range based on the original hunter welly design, to name but a few items. Silks and pink crops have always been available as far as I can remember.

(mum told me when I was picking out new wellies there was no way anyone from the countryside would take me seriously in these so I bought green ones but I wanted those spotty ones, I really did.)

So Katie's range includes such horsey looking tops as stripy cross country shirts, equestrian jackets and also pink headcollars, leadropes and rugs for your fashion concious equine friends too. I'm assuming she might branch out into pink Jodphurs at some point as well - perhaps with her logo printed on the Arse as is popular with such styles as Juicy Couture tracksuit bottoms (although I hope they won't be as expensive...)

I wonder what the equestrian world really thinks of the range - or for that matter, what their opinion on Katie Price is. Well, I think that we know what a certain proportion of the community think of the woman but perhaps they're not so snobbish about her merchandise. Then again... it is VERY pink.

I grew up loving horses and desperately wanting one of my own. Katie obviously felt the same, and luckily for her she's now in a position to afford to own and look after them, something my poor old bank balance won't stretch to. Unfortunately it is quite an exclusive and snobby sport - historically only the rich could really afford to keep horses for pleasure, rather than for work, and games such as polo and sports such as hunting were therefore never really available to your average rider. This is probably largely still so, there is definitely an element of it being about your connections, rather than your riding ability. Katie might not be the right image for the sport, but her money is as good as anyone else's and what harm would it really have caused to have let her in to the match? I can't say I'm her number one fan, but you can't say that she hasn't worked for what she has achieved, whether you approve of her methods or not.

So would I buy her pink range? Probably not. I don't think there's anything particularly unique about it, If I want to wear a pink shirt riding I can probably pick one up in Matalan for half the price, the chances are that if I did buy something I'd get it covered in slobber and grass stains when (inevitably) I fall off at high speed. Perhaps if she had a range that was wipe-clean and padded I might be interested (or perhaps I should just stick to stroking horses over a fence or mucking them out - less distance to fall!) but still, Katie I salute you for bringing much pinkness to the Horsey world.